Air circulating fan



Dec. 3, 1940. w. G. CALLIHAN AIR CIRCULATING FAN Filed Oct. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j WQL aZZZIZQIZ IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 3, 1940. w. G. CALLIHAN 2,223,672

AIR CIRCULATING FAN Filed 001;. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W 62. Cazliiilarz ]r 1'fl 4 INVENTOR.

A TTORN E YS.

Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an air circulating fan designed primarily for use in large rooms and auditoriums, one of the objects being to provide an elongated standard supporting a plurality of fans located at different elevations and pointed in difierent directions, all of the fans being driven by a single motor.

A further object is to provide a structure in which the operating motor constitutes a weight for maintaining the standard in an upright position while in operation.

A still further object is to so mount the fans on their supporting standard that they can be separately adjusted angularly to direct air ourrents in different directions within limited areas, each fan being operable independently of the other if desired.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

go the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the complete device.

Figure 2 is en enlarged portion designated by line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3,

5 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of one of the gear shifting levers and adjacent parts.

Figure 6 is a transverse section showing a slightly modified structure.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference I designates a hollow base of any desired proportions having an upstanding tubular standard 2 which can be of any desired length but is preferably of such length as to support fans at different levels extending above persons using them. This standard can be suitably ornamented if desired and the base I is adapted to hold an electric motor 3 the weight of which, supported by the bottom 4 of the base, tends to prevent the standard from tilting over while in use. This motor is adapted to be connected by a cord or otherwise to the house circuit and its operation can be controlled by a switch 5.

The motor 3 drives a shaft 6 which extends upwardly within the tubular standard, and if desired speed reduction gearing can be used for transmitting motion to the shaft from the motor although, under usual conditions, this shaft will be a continuation of the motor shaft. Should 5 speed reduction mechanism be used, it could be located within a housing I provided therefor.

The shaft can be provided with suitable bearings wherever needed, one of these being shown at the top of the shaft in Figure 3 as indicated 10 at 8.

At different points along the shaft 6 are located collars 9 in which the shaft rotates and each of these collars is provided with a bearing ID in which is journalled a fan shaft ll extending ra- 15 dially from the shaft and is journalled in a bearing i2 carried by a block i3 which extends inwardly from an arcuate plate I4. This plate engages the outer surface of the standard 2 and constitutes a closure for a short slot I5 in the 20 standard in which the block I3 is adapted to slide. A clamping bolt I6 can also be mounted in a slot I! in standard 2 adjacent to slot l5 and this bolt extends through the arcuate plate [4 and carries a nut I8 which, when tightened, 25 serves to bind the plate [4 against movement relative to the standard. By loosening the nut, however, this plate can be slid along the outer surface of the standard, thereby to effect a limited angular adjustment of the fan shaft II.

A fan 19 is secured to the outer end of each shaft I I while to the inner portion of each shaft is secured a ear 20.

Splined on the drive shaft 6 are superposed sleeves 2| each of which has a gear 22 adapted to be moved into and out of mesh with one of the gears 20. A key-way or groove for one of the splined sleeves is shown at 6. Each sleeve 2| is rotatably mounted within a ring 23 seated therein and each ring is embraced by a fork 24 40 having slots 25 receiving pins 26 extending from the ring 23. Fork 24 is located at one end of a shifting lever 21 which is pivotally mounted between brackets 28 within standard 2 and is adapted to work within a slot 29 formed in the 45 standard. Thi slot can be provided, at one side, with notches 3i] and a spring 3| at one side of the lever tends to hold said lever normally pressed into one of these notches, there being a tooth or rib 32 On the side of the lever for pro- 5 jecting into the notch. Thus the lever can be held against swingin movement while in either of two positions and when it is in one position, gear 22 controlled by the lever will be held in mesh with the adjacent gear 20 while, when the 55 lever is in its other position, gear 22 will be held out of mesh with gear 20.

The several shafts l l are arranged at different elevations respectively and. they extend in different directions, all of them radiating from the shaft.

The device can be set up in the center of a large room containing a number of people and after the shaft 6 has been set in motion by the motor 3, the gears 22 of one or more of the fans can be shifted by the respective levers so as to come into mesh'with the gears 20 of said fans whereupon motion will be transmitted to the selected fans. Thus air currents will be created at the desired levels and in the desired directions. The direction of current created by any one of the fans can be varied within the limits of the angular adjustment of the fan and its shaft and this adjustment can be effected readily by means of the bolt l 6.

As shown in'Figure 6 each collar 33 on the shaft 6 can be provided with oppositely extending fan shafts at, each of these shafts carrying a gear 35 and the two gears being adapted to mesh with the shiftable gear 36 corresponding with gear 22. Thus} two fans, blowing in opposite directions respectively, can be operated simultaneously from the'one gear 36.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a hollow base, a tubular' standard projecting upwardly therefrom, and an electric motor seated in the base and constituting a weight for holding the base and standard against tilting, of a shaft driven by and extending upwardly from the motor and within the standard, radial shafts extending from the standard at different elevations respectively, fans carried by the outer ends of the shafts, said shafts being extended in different directions respectively, a gear on each of the fan shafts and within the standard, separate gears on the motor driven shaft, means for independently shifting said gears into or out of mesh with the gears on the fan shafts, and means for supporting each of the fan shafts for angular adjustment relative to the standard, said means including an arcuate plate embracing the standard, there being a slot in the standard through which the fan shafts extend and which is normally closed by the plate, and cooperating means on the plate andstanolard for locking said plate in an position to which it might be adjusted longitudinally o f the slot.

\VALT'E R GREASHAM. CALLIHAN. 

